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- Apple is kicking off its “awe-dropping” event in Cupertino on Tuesday.
- Analysts expect the tech giant to announce the iPhone 17 lineup, with a new slimmer “Air” model.
- New Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 3 are also anticipated. We’ll be liveblogging the whole event.
Today’s the day for the event that Apple says will leave us in “awe.”
The tech giant is expected to make some big product announcements during its “awe dropping” event in Cupertino, including the new iPhone 17 line-up. The fall event is Apple’s biggest day of the year as Tim Cook and other executives make their annual sales pitch for why customers should upgrade to the latest phone.
Although Apple has kept its plans for today hush-hush, analysts and tech industry insiders say they’re expecting a new slimmer iPhone, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more.
The star of the show is expected to be the much-rumored iPhone 17 “Air,” a slimmed-down model that could be positioned between the entry-level iPhone 17 and the high-end Pro variants. Powering the new lineup will be iOS 26, Apple’s revamped operating system that’s expected to feature the “Liquid Glass” aesthetic touted at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, a more transparent design language that the company has continued to tinker with in early beta versions of the software.
We’re also expecting to see AirPods Pro 3, an Apple Watch Series 11, a new Apple Watch Ultra, and more.
The main event kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, and we’ll be live-blogging Cook’s keynote and covering all the major announcements.
Follow along for the latest:
Don’t be surprised if some iPhones get a price hike
Some Wall Street analysts are predicting higher price tags for the iPhone 17 family, estimating some models could cost $50 to $100 more than previous versions.
The rumored iPhone 17 “Air” is expected to replace the “Plus” model in the lineup and Bank of America analysts wrote in August that it could cost about $100 more — making the price around $999.
As for the iPhone 17 Pro, Morgan Stanley analysts predicted the 128 GB storage model would be eliminated, effectively making Pro models start at $1,099 for the 256 GB version.
Of course, Apple could always choose to eat any cost increases, but it typically likes to try to preserve its famously high margins.
Tim Cook is coming into the event fresh off a recent win streak for Apple
After a bruising start to the year that saw Apple make the rare move to delay the AI-overhauled Siri, Tim Cook has scored some recent wins.
Apple reported stronger-than-expected iPhone sales in its most recent earnings report. During the first week of August, Cook visited the White House, where Apple received praise from President Donald Trump for being among companies that are “building in the United States.” As a result, the president signaled that Apple would be treated well in future trade agreements.
In the courtroom, a US Customs ruling allowed the company to bring a blood-oxygen monitoring feature back to some Apple Watches after a previous ban. The US also backed the iPhone maker in its fight against a UK order that would make encrypted user data accessible to the British government.
And in September, a judge decided that Google’s search deals with tech giants like Apple could continue — boosting Apple’s stock price.
Tim Cook is up and ready for an “exciting” day
Cook posted his signature sunrise picture over the Apple campus to let followers know he’s up and ready for the event.
“Days like today are some of the most exciting moments at Apple,” Cook captioned the X post.
